A Moro girl shares reactions over Bangsamoro Basic Law

Is the BBL really the answer to the recurrent peace and order problem in the Moro region? A Moro resident share her sentiments and Bangsamoro Basic Law reaction.

Iligan City, Philippines – The Bangsamoro Organic Law (or Bangsamoro Basic Law or BBL) has been approved during a bicameral meeting last week. It will be passed into law once signed by President Rodrigo Duterte, which is an almost certain circumstance since he is a known proponent of BBL. He is set to sign the new law before his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, according to reports.

The BBL is deemed as the answer to a long-lasting peace in Mindanao, which has been elusive especially for people in the Moro region.

But with every change in the system, resistance from the people can always be expected. Despite its promising effect to the Moroland, residents’ opinions are divided. Some have apprehensions: who are going to be leaders of the new region?; will it be the same as the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)?; among others.

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A Moro girl from Mindanao, named Hannan Osum has posted her reactions to the BBL and what is really happening in ARMM. As a Moro who has lived in Mindanao, she has some apprehensions over the approval of the new law.

“This is long but I am hoping you will read and would at least think twice of what is really happening here at ARMM. I am only as knowledgeable as a girl who has lived here but I can assure you that all I’ll say here are as truthful as can be and I only speak hoping that it will help my land and my people.”

Osum said that it’s not the system that is ‘twisted’, rather her worry lie on the leaders “who will inherit more power and money” upon their disposal. She emphasized on the rampant corruption that has been going on – starting from the leaders to even the smallest position in the government. She also revealed as how the IRA or Internal Revenue Allotment, which should be used for government’s projects, are utilized by some politicians based on personal needs. An IRA is a local government unit’s (LGU) share of revenues from the Philippine national government.

“Its not the BBL system that is twisted. It’s the supposed leaders that will inherit more power and money upon their disposal that is scary. As someone who lives here at ARMM, I’m scared of the implications of the approval of this law. Our politicians here are twisted and corrupt and values the bonds of their blood than the bonds of their honor. They think the IRA is part of their salary. They think projects are a new source of their personal income. They don’t see it as a new road, a new school, a new building for public use, no, they see it as another car in their garage, another house in their collection, another trip abroad. I repeat, our politicians here are TWISTED AND CORRUPT. Maybe not all, but most. Not just politicians. Directors of public offices, secretaries holding departments like DENR, BIR, GSIS, etc.”

Because corruption is rampant, people gets ‘used’ to the system that it becomes ‘abnormally normal’.

“Heck, I once heard a conversation that went like this while I was riding a jeep: P1: whose house is this? (As we passed by a newly erected mansion) P2: I heard its *some treasurer’s name* P1: No wonder. So it was a treasurer’s house.

We’ve been thrown into such a corrupt system that people accepted that being given the position of treasurer means the money you have access to is already yours. THEY DID NOT QUESTION IT. THEY JUST ACCEPTED IT. That’s the kind of people you’re going to give more power to.

She also noted of some applicants for government positions are hired, not through their own merits and qualifications, but through their capability to “PAY” in cash.

To be promoted in position or even admitted in position in a government office, you have to go to the secretary and PAY. Nothing else matters, not your accomplishment or your length of service. You need to PAY and you need to pay more than your rival does.

Osum also revealed her observation during elections, where vote buying is viewed as “normal”. She also noted on how some politicians treat their positions as “business”.

Politicians here give away as much as P5000 during elections during election knowing that IF they win, they’ll have all those lost funds back and a profit. They treat this as business. If you look at the DSWD officers and the politicians wealth before and after the war at Marawi, you’ll see most of them somehow erected 3 more houses, are sporting new cars and more because they withheld the donations that should have went into the new houses and supplies meant for the evacuees. I repeat the politicians here and the people in position are TWISTED AND CORRUPT. and the people, while not entirely ignorant, are helpless. For what can we do against a clan that can eradicate our own?

Osum recognizes the risk she put herself into after speaking about the “truth” but she refused to think about it.

I do not know what danger I’m putting myself by speaking all of this and i refuse to think of it, I’m hoping that if at least something befalls me for speaking something that is not so uncommon, some who had read this would suspect what might have happened. I’ll not be that dramatic though, for you probably wouldn’t even read up to this.

Her post also is closed with a plea for help.

But please, before approving BBL, educate our people and give us the help that we need to be able to have a part in shaping the land that we live and will die on. EDUCATE THE PEOPLE. and ERADICATE THE CLANS that control our land, at the very least question them, send some investigators that wont be bribed by hundreds of millions of pesos, for the people I’m talking about are billionaire businessmen politicians. Educate us. Help us. We are not stupid. We are merely helpless and sometimes ignorant. Until then, you’re dooming us all instead of helping us. Peace be with you all.

Read her full post below:

Disclaimer: Osum’s opinion about the BBL and ARMM is entirely her own and does not reflect the website owner’s.